This is my first day at UW Bothell, and my wife, Sandy, and I are excited to be here. It feels like we have been moving for weeks now, first from New York to our home in Vermont, and then from Vermont to Washington. After logging more than 6,000 miles (two cross-country trips in the car) and packing/moving 26,000 pounds of household goods (mostly books), Sandy and I completed our journey safely across the northern states with our kitty and two dogs. We have begun our acclimation to the UW community by experiencing the Husky football season home opener in the new stadium.

I very much appreciate the advice and pointers many of you have given me over the past several weeks, and I hope you’ll continue to offer them. Over the next several months and beyond, I’ll be learning from you, and we’ll be having conversations about how best to advance our campus community. It will be a time of “Reflection and Discovery.” Under Chancellor Chan’s leadership, UW Bothell has more than doubled in size, and the quality measures are equally impressive. Reflecting on the great successes you have created together, I’d like to learn what challenges remain and identify opportunities we can harvest in the time ahead.

The period of “Discovery” will allow me to learn about you--and you about me. I hope we can take advantage of this period to explore how UW Bothell will become an even better learning community. I’ll be walking around the campus, and while it will take time, I look forward to getting to know you. Although the campus is growing, it is still an intimate place, with all the advantages that modest size enjoys.

Please share with me your experience, advice, and anything else that’s on your mind. Stop by and say hello, email me (chancellor@uwb.edu), friend me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn. Let’s begin our conversation! I look forward to welcoming a new class of future UW Bothell alumni; new faculty and staff; returning students, faculty, staff, and our community partners; and starting the new academic year with all of you.